Craft Focus - December 2020/January 2021 (Issue 82)

33 CRAFT TRENDS FOR 2021 We speak to movers and shakers in the world of craft and stationery to find out what’s going to be big over the next 12 months  With the surge of attention on mental health, and the focus on crafting for wellbeing, calligraphy is still growing in popularity. It’s so accessible, that it’s being taken up in ever greater numbers. With minimal kit and space requirements, it’s a great way for craft newbies to dip their toes into the world of mindfulness through craft. For more experienced calligraphers, new ‘tech’ like hand engraving machines and pyrography tools are coming down in price making them more accessible for home users. This allows people to add their lettering to other materials and surfaces like leather, glass or wood and decorate all sorts of objects, to make fantastic homemade gifts for friends and family. Our latest book, A Year in Calligraphy RRP £13.99 is a perfect gift recommendation as it teaches the skills needed to work on unusual objects like round surfaces, soft fabrics etc. Kirsten Burke, founder, The Modern Calligraphy Company www.themoderncalligraphyco.com A big trend we predict for 2021 is the need for personal correspondence, the more luxury and bespoke the better – we have some fantastic writing sets from brands such as Original Crown Mill and Kartos, for example. During the pandemic, there was a clear increase in people getting back in touch with loved ones through the traditional method of letter writing, and we expect this to continue to rise. Having an item engraved has long been desired, but there will be further demand as people don’t want to share pens, so having your initials on your item of choice ensures it remains yours alone. In addition, consumers are more sophisticated and eco- conscious with their choices, choosing genuine quality and craftsmanship, and items that are eco-friendly. The use of pens with in-built converters, to omit the need for single- use cartridges, will certainly grow, alongside products that generally use less plastic, and are more friendly to the environment. David Cole, director, Pen Heaven www.penheaven.co.uk Craft Trends for 2021